(HAMPTON, Va.) Twenty student-athletes representing ten of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s (CIAA) eleven member schools have been named to the 13th Annual CIAA Commissioner’s All-Academic Team. This year’s team defines the total NCAA DII student-athlete experience with each member excelling on their respective playing fields and courts as well as in their classrooms and communities.
“I’m proud of each one of our student-athletes and their commitment and dedication to education,” notes Commissioner Leon G. Kerry. “In these tough economic times, having the ability to multi-task and treat both their academic and athletic endeavors with devotion will set them ahead of the game of life.”
The CIAA Commissioner’s All-Academic Team aims to recognize twenty well-deserving student-athletes for their efforts in the classroom, in the community, as well as their contributions to the success of their respective athletic programs. Ten CIAA student-athletes were named First Team CIAA Commissioner’s All Academic Team. Those ten student-athletes boasted a 3.95 overall grade point average. The second team also consists of ten student-athletes, averaging a 3.69 overall grade point average. Both Shaw University and Johnson C. Smith University placed three student-athletes on the First Team.
First Team
Nikki Boston JCSU Track & Field JR 3.94 Vidalia, GA Computer Info. Systems
Marquie Cooke ECSU Men’s Basketball SO 4.0 Suffolk, VA Sport Management
Orolando Duffus SAC Track & Field JR 3.95 St. Catherine, Jamaica Business Administration
Leford Green JCSU Track & Field JR 3.90 St. Catherine, Jamaica Communication Arts
Kalada Kienka SU Men’s Tennis JR 3.96 Lagos, Nigeria Computer Science
Lolia Kienka SU Women’s Tennis SO 3.82 Lagos, Nigeria Political Science
Allie Kolezynski CU Softball SO 3.93 Strongsville, OH Business Administration
Kyara Lombre BSU Women’s Tennis JR 4.0 Mitchellville, MD Communications
Milos Stankovich SU Men’s Tennis SR 4.0 Montenegro, Serbia Business Administration
Jason Stuckey JCSU Men’s Tennis SR 4.0 Cincinnati, OH Business Administration
Second Team
Braxton Byerson VUU Men’s Basketball JR 3.6 Colonial Heights, VA Business Marketing
Jennifer Carter SPC VB/Bowling/SB SO 3.71 Detroit, MI Chemistry
Tiffany Haywood FSU Women’s Basketball JR 3.36 Fayetteville, NC Elementary Education
Sheena Johns SAC Track & Field JR 3.66 Dover, DE Business Administration
Kristy Mitchell FSU Women’s Tennis JR 3.98 Fayetteville, NC Math
Maya Newman BSU Women’s Basketball SR 4.0 Baltimore, MD Communications
Allison Sikes SAC Women’s Basketball JR 3.69 Richmond, VA Psychology
Rhon’Neisha Taylor VSU Women’s Basketball JR 3.6 Nashville, TN Sport Management
CJ Westler CU Football SR 3.56 Marion, OH Sport Science/Phys Ed
Shermaine Williams JCSU Track & Field JR 3.79 St. Andrew, Jamaica Biology
School Legend
BSU- Bowie State University CU- Chowan University
ECSU- Elizabeth City State University FSU- Fayetteville State University
JCSU- Johnson C. Smith University LC- Livingstone College
SAC- St. Augustine’s College SPC- St. Paul’s College
SU- Shaw University VSU- Virginia State University
VUU- Virginia Union University
Johnson C. Smith University continued with their dominance on the First Team, led by three-time member, Jason Stuckey (Cincinnati, OH). Stuckey has maintained a 4.0 grade point average in Business Administration over his four years with the Golden Bulls men’s tennis team. The All-CIAA performer also served as JCSU’s Valedictorian last weekend. Leford Green (St. Catherine, Jamaica) was also named to the First Team for the Golden Bulls. The All-American Track & Field athlete is a two-time member of the CIAA Commissioner’s All-Academic Team. The junior, Communication Arts Major, has maintained a 3.903 grade point average. Nikki Boston (Vidalia, GA) also represents the Golden Bulls on the First Team. Boston served as JCSU’s Salutatorian at their commencement ceremony last weekend with a 3.94 overall grade point average in Computer Information Systems. She was named an NCAA All-American in Indoor Track and Field and will participate in the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships later this month.
Shaw University also placed three student-athletes of the First Team in Kalada Kienka (Lagos, Nigeria),
Lolia Kienda (Lagos, Nigeria), and Milos Stankovich (Montenegro, Serbia). Kalada Kienka has compiled a 3.96 overall grade point average in Computer Science. He was named Shaw’s Outstanding Student in Computer Science, an award usually reserved for senior ranking students. He was also named to the All-CIAA Men’s Tennis Team after helping his team win their sixth straight conference championships. Lolia Kienka was this year’s CIAA Women’s Tennis Player of the Year and is a member of Shaw’s Honors College with a 3.82 overall grade point average in Political Science. Stankovich has been perfect in the classroom with a 4.0 grade point average in Business Administration. He was an All-CIAA performer this year and only lost two matches in the number one singles slot this season for the Bears.
Elizabeth City State University’s Marquie Cooke (Suffolk, VA) was named to the First Team. The First Team All-CIAA men’s basketball player has maintained a 4.0 grade point average this year. He was also the recipient of the Addie W. Griffin Academic Award and the Ralph and Joyce Cole Award, both given to a student-athlete with the highest grade point average at ECSU.
Allie Kolezynski (Strongsville, OH) represents Chowan on the First Team this year. She was named First Team All-CIAA for softball after helping lead her team to a conference championship. She has maintained a 3.938 grade point average in Business Administration and is a four-semester member of the Chowan President’s List.
Saint Augustine’s College’s Orolando Duffus (St. Catherine, Jamaica) was named to the First Team this year for the first time. Duffus, a junior member of Saint Augustine’s track and field team, has maintained a 3.955 grade point average in Business Administration. He was also named an indoor track and field All-American. He is an All-CIAA performer in field events in outdoor track as well. He was named the Wiley M. Davis award winner this year, given to the most outstanding international student-athlete.
Rounding out the First Team is Bowie State University’s
Kyara Lombre (Mitchellville, MD, C.H. Flowers). The junior Communications Major has a perfect 4.0 in the classroom and recorded a 13-4 singles record and 15-4 doubles record for the Lady Bulldogs tennis team this year.
The CIAA Commissioner’s All-Academic Second Team is comprised of five two-time members in Braxton Byerson (Colonial Heights, VA), Sheena Johns (Dover, DE), Allison Sikes (Richmond, VA), CJ Westler (Marion, OH), and Shermaine Williams (St. Andrew, Jamaica).
Maya Newman (Baltimore, MD, St. Frances Academy, Towson) is a three-time member of the All-Academic Team.
Newman represents Bowie State University and the women’s basketball program. She is a two-time member of the All-Academic Team and has maintained a 4.0 grade point average in Communications. Along with playing in all 26 games for the Lady Bulldogs this season, she is BSU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee’s President.
Byerson is a two-time member of the All-Academic Team and was named an All-CIAA performer in men’s basketball this year for Virginia Union University. The junior has maintained a 3.6 grade point average in Business Marketing. Johns, an NCAA All-American in indoor track and field for Saint Augustine’s College, won the school’s Mother Cynthia Pratt Award given to the most outstanding female student-athlete on campus who has demonstrated a commitment to public service.
Sikes, also representing Saint Augustine’s College, is a two-time member of the All-Academic Team. Sikes is a two-time All-CIAA player for the women’s basketball team and has maintained a 3.694 grade point average in Psychology. Westler, representing Chowan University, is also a two-time member of the All-Academic Team. He was named Chowan’s Dr. M. Christopher White Presidential Athletics Excellence Award recipient earlier this month. He was also named to the first team All-CIAA for football and the Offensive Player of the Year. He has a 3.562 overall grade point average in Sport Science and Physical Education.
Williams is one of four student-athletes representing Johnson C. Smith University on this year’s team. She is a repeat All-Academic Team member and maintains a 3.792 grade point average in Biology. She is an indoor track and field All-American for the Golden Bulls.
Jennifer Carter (Detroit, Michigan) represents Saint Paul’s College as a first time member of the All-Academic Team. She is a three-sport athlete for the Lady Tigers and has a 3.71 overall grade point average in Biology. She was named the Sunday A. Adesuyi Academic Achievement Award and the Jacob O. Adesuyi Organic Chemistry Award winner this year for Saint Paul’s.
Tiffany Haywood (Fayetteville, NC) and Kristy Mitchell (Fayetteville, NC) represent Fayetteville State University on the Second Team. Haywood was named FSU’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year after helping to lead the Lady Broncos Basketball team to a CIAA Conference Championship. She is a 3.361 overall grade point average in Elementary Education. Mitchell has a near perfect 3.98 grade point average in Math at FSU. The women’s tennis team member was named FSU’s Female Meritorious Award for scholarship, community service, and success on the field or court.
Rhon’Neisha Taylor (Nashville, TN) rounds out the Second Team and represents Virginia State University. Taylor was named to this year’s All-CIAA Team for women’s basketball after helping her team to an NCAA at-large berth. Taylor has an overall 3.6 grade point average in Sport Management.
The CIAA Commissioner’s All-Academic Team is voted on by the CIAA Sports Information Director’s Association and is in its 13th year. To be eligible for the team a student-athlete must have completed on academic year at a CIAA institution, earned a minimum 3.2 grade point average, and have excelled as a starter or significant reserve in a CIAA sanctioned sport.